Captured Hart
by DayDreamer2995
Summary: Maya Hart is a 25 year old struggle to get by in life, until one day she received a letter that she never expected, acceptance to her dream school, Rhode Island School of Design. Suddenly her safe world was now flipped upside down as she has to face her fears, of failure, the unknown and most importantly the past and the feelings that come along with, which she buried long ago.
1. Epilogue

Captured Hart

Prologue

I see him saying goodbye to everyone, first his mother, who is crying in his embrace. Next his father who gives him a hand shake and a proud nod saying something that puts a slight smile on Lucas's face. His father isn't easy to please, but his makes him happy, which makes me hate it more, even though joining the military is honorable, it just makes me feel uneasy seeing a smile on Robert Friars face. Then he goes to his brother, Ryan. He laughs at something Ryan says and Lucas pats his little brother on the back whispers something in his ear he nods and Lucas started walking toward us. I squeezed Riley's hand and she looks over at me with a smile touching her lips but sadness in her eyes.

I promised myself I would not cry, but as he finished his goodbye to Farkle and Riley and approached me I felt myself crumbling as he touches my arm. "Maya" he said sweetly. _You will not cry, you will not cry, you will not cry._ **Be strong.**

I shake my head and look up at him with a smile plastered on my face "One last chance to back out Huckleberry."

He laughed half heartedly and said "You know I'm not going to do that."

I looked down a mumbled "I do"

He titled my head up so I was looking him in the eyes and pulled me close to him, "I will come back to you Maya" he said cupping my face with his hands.

"Promise?" I inquired

"Promise." he stated sincerity filling his eyes. I rested my head on his chest, feeling his heart beat match with mine. His warm breath on my neck as he buries his head in my shoulder and I finally relaxed feeling comfort in our embrace, in him.

We part, only slightly so we can see each other again, his beautiful ocean deep eyes bore into mine with intent and sincerity when he says the four words that take my breath away "I love you Maya."

Staring back at him a smile appears on my lips before I bit down on them and look down for a moment, before looking back up at him. "And I love you my Huckleberry Finn" he closed the small gap between us and placed his lips passionately on mine. An feeling of urgency, need and desire filled us and the kiss, and nothing else mattered, the world dropped out and suddenly it was just use, together as one. But just as fast as we had become one, we separated and he was gone. Leaving my world spinning and in pieces.

I never cried, not during the day, no one saw my pain. But in the loneliness of the night, the emptiness filled me and I let myself cry. I promised myself one thing, I am strong in the day, I am not broken or sad, I'm am absolutely fine. In the night, when everyone was asleep, when no one could see the pain or the sadness behind my eyes, when I was alone, I cried.

And he never came back.

Until he did.


	2. Chapter One

**A/N: I didn't realize how long it took me to write this until I came back on here yesterday and realized I had to get my butt in gear! Hope you enjoy, and give feed back if you have any, always looking to improve! :)**

* * *

Chapter One

I love sleep so much, if I could sleep forever I would, because life is so much better in my dreams. But sadly that isn't how it works, this was proven to me as I felt a buzzing by my ear, which woke me up from my peaceful sleep. I grown, role over and try to ignore it, but it keeps ringing. Finally, I pick up my phone and see that it's Jade, what is she doing calling me at this time? I answer the phone "What?" I mumble grumpily.

"Well good morning to you too" Jade snipped

"What the hell are you doing calling at this time of morning?" I asked sitting up from bed slowly.

"It's 11 o'clock, normal people are up by now." She stated

"Well you know I'm not normal, and I am incoherent at any point in the day that ends with AM."

"Yes I do, know that" she laughed

"Okay, so why are you calling me." I asked

"Because your little-miss-sunshine is sitting in our living room, refusing to leave until you get home. I've tried to tell her you won't be back for a while, but she said she would wait." Jade said urgently.

"I'll be right over." I groaned shutting off my phone and collecting my clothes. I wish the two of them could be friends, Jade says Riley is to happy all the time and it gives her a headache and Riley says that Jade is mean and swears too much. Once I'm dressed I go around the bed and wake him up lightly "Babe, I'm heading out now, Riles is at my apartment alone with Jade."

"Uh-oh" he mumbles

"I know" I sigh "I'll be over later" I kiss him on the forehead and leave.

* * *

When I get to my apartment I step inside and Riley is sitting on my couch with her Michael Kors bag in her lap twirling her wedding ring in circles looking at her feet, lost in thought as if she didn't even hear me come in at all. "Earth to Riley" I say as I step in front of her, she blinks a couple times and looks up at me sadly "What are you doing here Riley?" I asked.

"Where were you Maya?" she asked

"Nowhere" bad answer, and I knew it as soon as it came out of my mouth. If I had have said I slept over at my parent's place, or I had to work late so I crashed there, she would have believed me. But saying 'nowhere' gave away exactly where I was.

"Maya," she said my name like she was a mother disappointed in her child

"Riley, I'm an adult, I can make my own decisions"

"I know you can, I just wish you would make better ones."

I sighed, frustrated, I miss when we used to be on the same wave length. Now it feels like we are a million miles apart, she is so put together, she has everything figured out and whenever she visits me I feel like I'm disappointing her and it's exhausting. "Is that what you came here for?" trying to get off this topic, I knew she didn't come over to see me for that reason because the last she heard we had broken up.

"I came here because a certain someone informed me that you had gotten into Rhode Island and were not planning on going." She stared at me for a long moment to see if I would say anything more, and when I didn't she kept going "Now I would like to congratulate you on getting into your dream school, the school you have been trying to get into know for 7 years and when they finally accepted you, I would have loved to screamed and jumped and done are happy dance with you and all."

"Breath, Riles" I could tell she was getting worked up because when she does, she doesn't breathe, she just goes and goes and goes.

"But I couldn't do that, for two reasons. One, because my best friend didn't tell me about this amazing news, I heard about threw Zay." Dammit Zay, I'll have to kill him later. "And two, because she isn't planning on going to the school she's dreamed of her whole life." Now she looked like she was on the verge of tears, which I wanted to avoid at all cost, Riley crying was the worst thing imaginable, causing her pain was something I avoided at all cost. But sometimes it is unavoidable. She looked up at me with questions running threw her eyes, but only one popped out "Why?" she asked simply.

"On which account?" I asked back.

"Both."

I parked a seat beside her and graded her hands in order to comfort her but she pulled her hands away, I smiled sadly and placed my hands under my legs in order not to fidget "I didn't tell you because I didn't want to get you excited over something that I wasn't sure if I was going to accept and then if I was to decide not to go, have you upset at me."

"Well how did that turn out" she mumbled

"Not well" I sigh "And as for the reason I'm not going, I think you know why Riles," I hesitate for a moment, reaching to take a sip of water, if nothing more than just to prolong this and maybe figure out a way to stop this conversation in its tracks "I can't leave her." I hate that my voice broke on her, I hate sounding weak, but if I'm going to sound weak in front of anyone Riley was the person to do it for. She was always the fixer.

Her eyes softened a little and she took my hands "I know you want to help your mom as much as possible. But you have to stop with using her as a scape goat to dealing with life."

"I'm not-"

"You are, she has Shawn and Paisley and you can come and visit." She stated

"Yes, but-"

"Have you told Katie about you getting accepted to Rhode Island?" she asked. I shook my head no, I didn't tell mom for the same reason I didn't tell Riley, there was no point in getting their hopes up only to disappoint them, I'd done that in the past enough as it is. Riley stood up abruptly and said "Let's go"

"What where are we going?" I asked

"To go and talk to your mom because I can't get you to go unless she is okay with it." She stated, and it was true, I would never go if she didn't want me to. I still might not go, even if she wants me to, which I'm pretty certain she'll want me to go. She's always wanted me to pursue my dreams.

* * *

When we got to the apartment Paisley opened the door "Riley!" he exclaimed and gave her a big hug. Paisley is my little brother, well I guess he isn't so little anymore he's 10 frigging years old. I'm 99% sure that Pais has a crush on Riley. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked

"We came to speak to Katie" Riley said brightly.

"She's just up in her bedroom" Paisley stated walking away with his cell phone in hand, I don't know why Mom got him that so young, I know we couldn't afford it when I was his age, but I appreciated that I didn't have one until I got a bit older, it made me less dependent.

I started going up the stairs and when we got to the door I turned around to Riley and said "I think I just want to speak to her alone," I could see a flash of hurt cross before her eyes, and that was the last thing I wanted to do, it was just I could deal with both of them at once, it would be too much. I would break down for sure.

"Okay" she nodded "I'll be in your room"

I enter mom's room without knocking, knowing she'd be up, she was told bed rest, but mom was never good at bed rest. I guess working on her feet all her life made her never able to sit down, until someone forced her too. And sure enough when I come into the room there's clothes everywhere but my mother is no where to be seen "Mom?" I call.

"I'm in the closet" she called. I walked over to her small walk in closet, where she was sitting down folding her clothes and I sat down beside her picking up and article of clothes and folding it. I remember when we moved in here with Shawn, a little while after they'd gotten married and she was so excited about finally having her own walk in closet, I remember thinking it was so huge. But now clothes skewed everywhere, mom and me both sitting here knee to knee, it felt pretty small. Has it gotten smaller, or have we gotten bigger, I will probably have to go with the latter.

"You should be resting Mom." I stated

"Says who?"

"Your doctor"

She laughed and waved me off "What does that old man know?"

"A lot, he knows a lot" mom was never one to take directions, maybe that's why she went threw so many jobs, until she started at Topanga's and ended up co-managing with Topanga.

"Not about me, lying in a bed doing nothing isn't rest, cleaning out my closet and organizing it is." She states, I must have given her a look because she says "Maya Penelope Hart, do not look at me like I am a child, I am sick, but I can fold laundry. I will not stop until I am dead."

"Mom" my voice cracked and my eyes started to fill with tears.

"Oh I'm sorry honey," she softened wrapping her arms around me tightly "I didn't mean to get you upset, I just can't take all the babying, it driving me crazy!"

I shook my head cleared my throat, trying to cover up my sadness, I didn't want her comforting me, I shouldn't need comfort, she should have to worry about me right now. "Dad's been at it again?" I laughed.

"Gah!" she put her hands to her face in frustration "I love your father dearly, but ever since the last doctor's appointment he's been driving me nuts, he won't leave me alone!" she exclaimed.

"He's worried" we all are; I add in my head.

"Well I'm sick off it." She huffed "Anyway, what did you come over for baby girl?"

"Can't I just come over to spend time with my beautiful mother?" I asked

"You can, but you are my daughter and I can see in your eyes that something is up, spill it." She smiles at me.

"Okay" I sigh, I've put it off long enough, time to go "So I got accepted to Rhode Island" I started, but before I could even finish mom had flung herself at me and was squealing in my ear I'm surprised I didn't go deaf. "Owe, mom, my ear"

She sat back down and patted my legs quickly and grabbed my legs "Oh, my sweet baby girl, I'm so happy for you!" she smiled widely, tears forming in her eyes.

I can't do this, she looks so proud, but I have too. I can't possibly leave her "Mom, I'm not going" she dropped my hand immediately.

"Why not?" she asked

"I-I" I know she's going to be made, I just know it but in this moment I cannot come up with another reason why, nothing is coming to mind, even though I've come up with many prior "I can't leave you." She stood up abruptly and left the closet, not saying a word to me. I follow her out and she is pacing from the window to the end of her bed, after a few moments I stop her by her shoulders "Mom, stop it" and she stopped and sat down on the edge of her bed.

We sat there for a while not saying anything, I didn't know how to pick things back up, and she was lost in her own thought, so we just sat there. Until finally she broke the silence "Do you know what I have always wanted for you?" I could find the words, my brain just was drawing a complete blank on every word in the English language so I shook my head no "I have worked my whole life to it to give you, but I was never enough, all that I could give you was never enough. It's something you have to find on your own, but now I'm the one to hold you back, I can't…"

I waited for her to finished, but when she didn't I asked "What is it?"

"Happiness" she said simply "I want more than anything for you to be happy, to follow your dreams and believe in something again."

"I am happy mom"

She laughed sadly and touched my cheek "I wish, more than anything, that you were, but you aren't, I've seen you happy and this isn't it." She picked up my hands gently "Seeing you happy is all I've ever wanted for you. I will never forgive myself if I am the reason you don't find it."

Tears were perched on the lid of my eyes, waiting to spill over "But I won't be happy, being so far away from you, worrying."

"You worry when you are here with me, and you will worry if you are away from me. So why not go away, at least then you will be doing what you love, instead of working at a crappy bar." She cupped my hand together and lifted them up to her lips and kissed them "I want so much more for these hands, they are capable of so much more then mixing drinks and cleaning table, like I did."

"I won't go" I said stubbornly.

"Well" her voice sounding equally stubborn and determined "If you stay in New York, it will not be for me, because I will not be allowing you into my home."

When those words came out of her mouth, my whole body went numb. It was a good thing I was sitting down, because I don't think I would have been able to stand right now. The one stable place, the one stable person in my whole life, who's always stood by me, doesn't want me? "Y-you don't want me?" the shakiness of my voice matched the shakiness of my body.

"I love you so much, and if you go to Rhode Island, you can visit whenever" softness formed in her eyes as reassurance, but I didn't feel it "But if you stay here I couldn't look into those beautiful blue eyes and see crushed dreams, that would kill me before cancer ever will." And those words right there were what broke me, and when it started it didn't stop, one tear came and another, and another, until I was sobbing in my mom's arms for god knows how long. I tried to stay so strong, for her, I tried to be the person everyone needed me to be for so long, but now I am so very tired.

When I had finally stopped crying, I don't think I word was said after, but we knew an agreement was reached. I would go, I would go and pursue my dreams, for her. When I had been gone long enough for her to be satisfied, I would come back home to my real life. I went to my room and Riley was sitting on my old bedroom floor strumming at my guitar, she looked up at me seeing my tear stained eyed, but god bless her, she doesn't comment on them. "Do you ever play the guitar anymore, I remember you used to play all the time?" I shook my head no.

She got up taking the guitar and putting it in my case and picking it up "Do you mind if we take it?" I shrugged indifferent "So what's the verdict?"

I smirk half heartedly "I'm going" I said simply.

"She's okay with it?" Riley asked

"She doesn't want me here." I hiccup out. Riley's smile falls as she embraces me in a hug.

"I know you don't think so, but you will thank her someday." I shake my head. I just hope that there is a someday to come back to.

And with that we left.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

I wasn't expecting to just pick up and go, but I apparently Riley was, as when we got back to my apartment she was already packing me up. "Riley what are you doing?"

"I'm helping you pack your things, I'm already leaving late, so I figured I'd help you get ready so we can go." She stated, apparently already making plans in her head before discussing them with me.

"But Riles I don't have anywhere to stay." I don't even know how I'm going to afford living in Providence, I mean I guess I afforded living in New York, but that's only because I had three jobs and a roommate and an extremely small apartment.

"Don't be ridiculous, you can stay with me." I shook my head back and forth, that was a bad idea, I love Riley more then life itself, but I don't ever want to be financially dependent on someone else, I have turned down my mom and Shawn's offers many times because I want to be able to take care of myself, nobody else. "Maya, I know you like your independence." Riley started "But our new property has a lot of land, a lot more then when we lived in New York."

"Well seeing as you lived in a condo with no yard at all, I would certainly hope so" I stated. I hadn't been out to visit Riley's place since she moved out there a year ago, but in my defense Riley is always coming back here, like 2 or 3 times a month, so there is no point of spending money when I don't have to.

"Yes, but we also have 6 small 'huts' we call them, but I guess a better word for them is cabin's, but they seem to small to be a cabin, but hut sounds kind of dirty or wild and-"

"Earth to Riley," I wave my hand in front of her face "you're getting a little off track there peaches"

"Right," she shakes her head "anyway we have 6 cabins, and we have renovated them, they are small but each have a queen bed and a bathroom." she said waving her hands about excitedly. Riley always took two years longer to say what she needed to say then the normal person. But that's okay, I'm used to it. "I think it would be cute if some day we started a bed and breakfast with them, but for now they are just for visitors. Anyway so I was thinking you could stay there and you would have your own space, but you could come up to the main house whenever you wanted."

"How much will it cost?" I asked

Riley hesitated for a moment before saying "Nothing"

I shook my head "No, I am no one's charity case Riley, you know that."

"You wouldn't be my charity case, you are my friend and I like to help my friends out. Please let me help you." She pleaded, I have gotten better at saying no to Riley, but I'm still pretty awful at it.

I sighed "Fine, but as soon as I find a new job we are renegotiating."

"Deal" she beamed sticking out her hands.

"Okay, but can I have one day before we leave, I do have a life here in New York that I can't completely pick up and leave without letting people know." I mean one day is still picking up and leaving, but at least I can say goodbye to the important people.

"Okay, one day" she says holding up her pointer finger "I'll be back at noon tomorrow to pick you up." She said as she as she headed out the door, before coming back in "Oh and Maya, you won't regret this" she smiled and left. I don't know about that, but I have done lots of things I've regretted so why not this?

The first place I headed was to each of my jobs, none of them were to happy about me just picking up and leaving, one of my bosses Derrek who's a real ass told me that he didn't understand why I would go because artist didn't make any money anyway. I wanted to tell him that I wouldn't be making any less then what you paid, but I remained polite. But my other two bosses where pretty understand, one even told me that he would hope I would have left sooner because 'I was to good to be dealing with drunks every night'. Which was sweet, in a weird way.

That was easy, but now came the hard part. I stood at the door of his apartment and rang the buzzer when he answers the buzzer I opened the door, walked up the stairs, he's on the very top floor of an 8 story building with an elevator that has been broken since he moved in over 2 years ago, it is exhausting. When I get to his apartment door I ring the bell, I used to have a key, but I lost it and he never gave me a new one.

His roommate Dustin answered the door "He's in his room" he nodded toward done the hall.

"Thanks Dusty" I said as I started walking down the hall, when I got to his room I stood there for a moment, how was I going to go about this? I didn't know how he would react, but I had a feeling it wasn't going to be good.

When I opened the door I saw him sitting on his bed playing video games, this was his favourite pass time. A lot of times when we were together we didn't do a lot of speaking, he would play his video games and I would draw and at the end of the night we would have sex. It was easier that way, more peaceful and less arguments. But today I hadn't brought any of my art supplies, I wasn't planning on staying. "Hey babe" he nodded at me "where have you been all day, you never text me."

"I've been busy" I stated

"Still wouldn't have hurt to text." He said as he continued to play his video games.

"You could have texted me if you wanted to talk"

He waves me off and says "Forget it, come sit with me" he pats a space beside his bed.

I sit on a chair that is covered in his clothes, I used to try and clean his room, but every time I'd come back it would be just as messy as before I cleaned it, so now I don't even try. "I'm not staying; I need to talk to you." I shouldn't have said that, because now he knows something is up, if I had have brought it up casually it may not have been such a big deal, no, who am I kidding it's a pretty damn big deal.

He sat up slowly and turned off his game "What about?" he asked curiously.

I looked down at my hands and saw that they were shaking, why was I so scared? There is no point beating around the bush, just go for it "I'm leaving" I state simply.

"Leaving as in going on a trip, or leaving me?" he asked tension filling his voice. I probably should have explained myself more, you know how I said Riley over explain things, I definitely under explain, or don't explain as little as possible when I talk. I think a lot, but I don't talk much if I don't have to.

"Well, I got accepted to Rhode Island School of Design a few weeks back," I still in this entire conversation had not looked up, I was still looking at my hands in which I was fidgeting with as a distraction "and I have decided to go?" the last part came out like a question even though it was supposed to be a statement.

"When do you go?" there was no track of anything coming through his voice, maybe if I looked up I would see something, anger, happiness, pride, but his voice was giving nothing away and I wasn't looking up.

"Tomorrow" I stated

"What?" anger poured out of his voice, it was there know, without a shadow of a doubt, which means he probably wasn't to happy before. He was just covering it up in his voice.

"I didn't mean-" I started

"We got back together yesterday, and now you're telling me you are leaving, TOMORROW!" he yells and I flinch. I don't even see him until he is right in front of me "Look at me God dammit!" he grabs my face with his hands and I see the pain, anger and hurt spread across his face "Was this all just some game to you?" everything went away from his eyes except pain and sadness and I wanted to crumble. I hated hurting him and that's all we seemed capable of now days.

"No, I wasn't planning on going yesterday, I promise" my eyes pleading for him to understand "Riley came over today and convinced me to go, I'm so sorry."

"Riley convinced you?" he asked, I nodded "Well can I convince you not to go?" he asked sadness being replaced with determination.

I didn't know what to say, could he convince me to stay? Did I want to stay? "I love you Maya, please don't go." He begged again "We just got together again, I need you here with me."

"Why?" I finally found my voice.

"Because…" he trailed off, seeming unable to answer my question. If this was in convincing, he wasn't doing a good job at it.

"Goodbye Josh" I said getting up to go, even though more then anything I wanted to stay. But an arm grabbed me and spun me around into his arms and suddenly I was so close to him I could feel his heart beating rapidly against my chest. He titled his head down and lifted my head up toward him, filling the empty space between us with our lips. He brings his hands up to my head, keeping me close, trapping me. What was normally sweet, and warm, felt urgent, pleading, and desperate. It felt like I was a prize he was seeking to win. I pushed back finally, grasping for air. He still had a hold of me "We always find out way back to each other and it's because we need each other. We can't live without each other." He stated simply.

I shook my head back and forth, even though he was partly right. No matter what we did to each other we kept coming back. I don't know why, but I always went back. I don't know if that meant that we were meant to be together or if I was just weak.

I was so lost in thought I didn't even notice that he had finally let go of me and was now storming around his room. "How come Riley can convince you to go, but I can't convince you to stay?" he said angrily

I didn't want to tell him about my mom, not the way he has been acting. He doesn't deserve that explanation. "Because I want to go" I want to go… it was true, as much as I had been fighting it, I truly did want to go.

I was scared, terrified actually, but I wanted this.

When I got back to my apartment I looked like a hot mess, I didn't realize how much I had cried or that I had cried at all, I don't know if I started on the walk home or if I had been crying while I was with Josh, I hoped not. All I knew is that when I got home the first this Jade said to me was "What the hell happened to you?" she was sitting on the counter, eating pizza and drinking wine while painting her toenails. No matter how many times I tell her it is gross to put your ass or your feet on the counter she continues to do it. So my mantra is if you can't beat them join them, so I placed myself beside her on the counter and rest my head on hers "It's been a long day." I sighed.

She patted my head and said "Well little-miss-sunshine was here, she gives me a headache after two minutes of talking to her, I couldn't imagine spending a whole day with her."

"It wasn't her" I said

"Ah, it was him" she laughed "Of course it was him. He's an ass" she stated simply.

I smile sadly "Actually I think this time I was the ass, you'll probably hate me too, when I tell you."

"Never" she said taking another bite of her pizza and a swig of her wine "Want some wine and pizza, it's a sadness curer." She said lifting up her bottle which was almost gone and the box of pizza.

"Yes please" I laughed

"See," she pointed to my face "haven't even had any yet and you're already smiling!" after she pours the wine and hands me a piece of pizza she says "So what am I going to 'hate' you for?" she asked putting the word 'hate' in air quotes.

"I'm moving"

"That's it?" god love her.

"To Rhode Island" I specified

"You got in!" she exclaimed excitedly "I'm so happy for you Maya!" then she furrowed her brow "Why in the world would you think I wouldn't be happy for you getting into your dream school?" she demanded.

"Because I'm leaving tomorrow."

A little bit of worry crossed her face "Ah, well yes that's a bit annoying of you, but I don't hate you and you're a bitch for thinking I would." The thing I love most about Jade is she is 100% honest, no bullshit, so if she is mad, she is mad but when she says something nice, she means it. "But my happiness out ways my annoyance on this one, so your good girl" she pats my back. She also isn't one for affection, this is about as much touchy feely as you get with Jade.

"Thank you" I beamed

"I'm guess your boy wasn't to happy about it." It could have been taken as a question, but she worded it as a statement.

"He was furious" I said remembering the whole conversation, it was just so awful.

"Well he can go fuck himself for not being happy for you. What an asshole." She has never liked Josh, I don't know why, but when I'm broken up with him it's nice, when I'm not it can be frustrating.

"Well in his defense I kind of blindsided him with it. We had just gotten back together yesterday, it looks bad on my part."

She waves me off like I'm being ridiculous "So did you break up with him?"

I shook my head no "I don't know, he just got angry and then pleaded for me to stay. And when I said no he told me to leave. So I guess technically we didn't break up, but he's mad at me."

"My God, you guys are ridiculous, to anyone else that would be a break up." I shrugged and continued to eat my pizza.

We sat there for a few minutes before Jade said "Okay, now I'm sad" she turned to me brows furrowed "I mean I'm happy for you, but now I have to live with a weird stranger."

"I was a weird stranger when I first moved in with you."

"That's true, you sang all the time and you had a rodent." She shook her head making a grossed out face "But your rodent died, and I have begun to enjoy your singing, but only yours, no one else's"

"Aw, I'm touched" I placed my hands to my heart sarcastically sweetly "Hey!" I protested "you liked Mr. Whiskers and were equally as sad when he died as I was."

She shrugged "He was alright" but I new she cried when he died. "No, but now I have to get used to a whole new person's weird habits, and maybe they have a weird pet or they snore. Oh no Maya, I can't deal with snoring, these walls are too thin!" she grabs my arm panicked

"So are you not wanting me to go know?"

"No, you better fucking go" she said angrily "But I'm going to be in hell over here."

"Just don't let anyone move in that has pets, smokes, snores, or sings and you're good."

"So basically I should just live alone." She stated and chugged her wine miserably.

"Basically" I laugh, which feels pretty damn good after the past day, and I drink.

I get up to someone shaking my shoulders, I moan and turn over "Maya our flight leaves in 2…" I put my pillow over my head to muffle the sound away, but I still hear muffled sounds of being packed and flight so I toss my pillow across the room "…got to wake up" she finishes.

I roll over grumbling and sit up Riley tosses me clothes and I put them on "Morning Peaches," she smiled at me "you're a bit hung over aren't you?" I nodded, and added a hat to complete the outfit, because when I am hungover I cannot take sun in my face what so ever.

"Well since you aren't going to help pack can you at least bring your big ass over here and sit on this suitcase for me?" she asked and I noticed her struggling with the zipper.

I looked at my ass and then said "Excuse me, but my bum is perfectly proportioned thank you very much." But walked over and sat on top of the suitcase for her "So did you get everything?" I asked

"No, but I didn't have enough time." She said as she handed me a glass of water and shooed me off the suitcase "But when I come back next week I'll grab the rest for you."

As I looked around the room I noticed how much work she had done while I was asleep. My TV was still sitting in it's corner, so was my record player, my bedding was still laying on my bed. But my closet was mostly empty as were my drawers, all my DVD's and records were collected, my guitar which normally is on my chair in the corner in my 'music corner' is now in it's case on my bed, my books that used to lay on the book shelf beside my bed were now packed away somewhere I will have to find later. I look at my best friend packing little things into a carry on and I let the words "Thank you" fall from my lips. I know I've been fighting every step of the way, but she really has put a lot into this over the last 24 hours.

She looks up at me and smiles "You're welcome Maya," she comes over and wraps her arms around me in a hug "I would do anything for you" as she pulls away her mouth opens to say something else but my phone rings in my pocket.

I pick it up and see who it is "I have to answer it, one second" and I answer it with and 'Hello'

"Hi sweetheart" his calm voice, calmed me and the nerves I didn't realize I had been feeling "your mother was telling me about the events of yesterday."

"Sh-she doesn't want me." My voice breaks half way through want.

"Oh, no honey, she loves you so much. She just wants what best for you, we both do." Shawn soothed.

I decided to leave it, Shawn would defend her to the end of the earth. His loyalty is one of his best qualities and one of the things that made my mother and I bring him into our little family. But right now it was infuriating. I sighed and said "My flight leaves at 12:20, are you going to come see me off Dad?" I asked

"No" his voice sounded sober "your mother has an appoint I have to take her to. That's why I'm calling, to wish you luck and let you know I believe in you, my girl."

"I-I don't know if I can do this" I finally let myself sound weak, afraid, petrified as a matter of fact.

"You will do wonderful; I believe in you."

I felt myself start to choke up, I needed to get off this phone call fast, before I started crying "Thank you"

"Have fun and don't forget to come back and visit." He finishes.

"I won't," I smile "I better get going, Riles is rearing to go."

"Okay, make sure to text me or your mother when you land."

"I will"

"Oh and Maya," he adds just before I'm about to hang up "you got this." And with that he hung up, and a single tear rolled down my cheek. This was really happening; I am really leaving New York, into the abyss of unknowns.

When we got off the plane I could tell that something was off with Riley and so I said to her "You're acting weird, what's up?"

She shook her head as if she was deep in thought and realized I was standing there looking at her quizzically "Oh well Maya, in all the rush I kind of forgot to mention-" suddenly her phone rings and she flinches, looks at the phone and with a sigh answers it "Hello" it was a business call, so I tuned myself out of it. If it was important she would come back to it later.

Once we have gotten our bags, we headed out to the parking lot where Farkle should have been waiting for us, but we couldn't find him. Riley called him "Hey babe, where are you?" after a few moments a look a concealed panic crossed her face, most people wouldn't be able to tell her face had switched, but I know her sometimes better then I know myself, so I could tell something was up. "Oh no" she said quietly "uh-hu" she pauses "well Maya is actually with me," she paused for him to speak, I'm surprised she hadn't told Farkle that I was coming, seeing as I was going to be living with them. "It's kind of a long story, yeah, I know, but I-" I can hear his voice coming from the phone but I can't make out the words being said "yes, okay, I have to go," she is finishing up "bye honey, okay, love you too" finally she hung up. "For a guy Farkle is hard to get off the phone"

I smile and ask "So what's the issue?"

"Oh nothing big, Farkle just won't be able to pick us up." But I could tell there was something else she wasn't informing me on.

"So who's coming for us?"

She went to open her mouth to answer but a car pulled up at the same time and a voice called out "Hey Riles" I would recognize that voice anywhere, it had been years since I've heard it, but I would know it anywhere and so when I went to turn around I already knew who was there and still I wasn't prepared for the sight of him. After all these years, there he was.

Lucas Friar.


End file.
